Asylum Package

Under previous legislation, asylum seekers coming to the EU could invoke no rights to avoid inhumane treatment in detention camps in some Member States, and it could take as long as two years for their cases to be processed.

The new Asylum Package consists of 5 instruments: 3 Directives (not revised for this package) granting rights and setting standards on classification, treatment and procedures for people in need of international protection, and two Regulations on determining the first country responsible for examining applications for international protection (Dublin II) and fingerprinting applicants for the EURODAC database. These rules constitute the Common European Asylum System (CEAS), together with the European Asylum Support Office (EASO), Regional Protection Programmes and a voluntary resettlement scheme, which was to be further developed by the end of 2012.

The Greens believe that the second generation of asylum legislation should set common high-quality European standards designed to provide protection for those in need, paying particular attention to vulnerable persons, like children and victims of human trafficking or torture.

The patchy and inconsistent implementation of asylum legislation in the past has led to the establishment in different Member States of vastly divergent procedures and various degrees of protection, recognition and access to rights and benefits.

The second generation of asylum acquis should also reflect the many court rulings that have highlighted shortcomings in the implementation of the EU's asylum legislation.

Together with the S&D, GUE/NL and ALDE, the Greens succeeded in improving the overall Asylum Package, securing a higher overall level of protection and more equal treatment in access to rights and benefits.

We also managed to further develop legal safeguards in the asylum procedures from arrival to recognition.

The Greens and the rest of the progressive Left failed to take the Asylum Package 'to the next level'. Too much is still left to the discretion of individual Member States.

The negotiations were hampered in particular by the EPP, despite strong mandates on several of the files.

The ALDE also caved in to Council demands on security and anti-terrorism where the EURODAC database was concerned, voting in favour of access by law enforcement agencies seeking terrorists and suspects and thereby running the risk of stigmatising all asylum seekers as criminals.